1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a control system for controlling power transmission from an automotive internal combustion engine and a starting motor to auxiliary machinery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Techniques for reducing the fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine have been developed and applied to practical uses. Such techniques stop an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle temporarily, for example, when the vehicle stops for a while to wait for the traffic light to change. Usually, auxiliary machinery, such as an air conditioner stops when the internal combustion engine stops.
If both the internal combustion engine and the air conditioner stop when the vehicle stops temporarily while the vehicle is running in traffic congestion in hot summer, the passenger compartment becomes hot and uncomfortable.
A technique disclosed in, for example, JP11-230012 A drives the auxiliary machinery by a motor when the internal combustion engine stops.
The technique disclosed in JP A 11-230012 A drives the motor for rotation in the normal direction to start the internal combustion engine and disconnects the motor from the auxiliary machinery to intercept torque transmission from the motor to the auxiliary machinery when the internal combustion engine is at a standstill, and drives the motor for rotation in the reverse direction to drive the auxiliary machinery and disconnects the motor from the internal combustion engine to intercept torque transmission from the motor to the internal combustion engine when the internal combustion engine is at a standstill.
This prior art technique does not use the motor as a power generator and does not use the motor for energy regeneration.
If it is desired to operate the air conditioner while the internal combustion engine is at a standstill, it is wiser to regenerate energy as much as possible because the air conditioner consumes much power.
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a compact automotive internal combustion engine control system capable of driving auxiliary machinery by a starting motor while an internal combustion engine is at a standstill, of efficiently regenerating energy while the internal combustion engine is in operation, and of satisfactorily lubricating a speed-change gear.